Ask a Catholic

[Guest man]

Hi Ayin,

I've been quickly reading this board, but truly have little time to maintain any lengthy dialogs. I happen to be working two jobs and writing an approx. 30 page talk for a Catholic Cursillo weekend.

Ok - enough of the excuses for not being a "persistant" member - but let me answer your question and help with genearal guidance.

I do prison ministry also and there is always a misconception between what Catholic people do, seem to do, there intent, and the Catholic faith. Some of the Catholic failthful you see "praying to the statue" may really be "praying to the statue". Some may be using the statue in a Catholic way as FIOSH and others suggests. That is, using it as you would a picture of your loved one in your wallet or purse that you haven't seen for a long time and truly missed. Heck, you might even longingly look at the picture and give it a kiss. and we know that's not worship. Just love for the person it represents.

OK back to those Catholic idol worshipers. THEY MAY BE IDOL WORSHIPPERS.... BUT - That's not the Catholic faith as ever taught in history. They are Catholics in heresy and probably not even aware.

So - one must always understand the difference between the "Catholic Faith" and what a misinformed or heretical Catholic may be doing.

May God Bless You and Me!

bswist

This is very much correct. I read on here all the time, I saw a Catholic do this or I know a Priest that said this. This may very well of happened, but that isn't what the Catholic Church teaches. Fiosh is doing a great job of telling all of you what the Church truely teaches. If you don't agree, that's fine, but at least you will know what the Church truely teaches.

So if this is true...as you say it is....wouldn't the catholic church be guilty of promoting idol worship?

No. If this is true, and I am speaking totally hypothetically, it would mean that one priest, for whatever his motives, is misleading his flock....and he will have to answer for it.

Similar to a Lutheran minister who preaches that Jesus is not God. Doesn't make the entire denomination a church of pagans.

Peace,

Fiosh

What other denomination uses images in their worship practices?

If one person is lead to believe that God resides inside those images, who will God hold accountable for that person's fall?

[Guest man]

But that's the last time He allows it, right? Ummm......come with me to Numbers 21

Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Num 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Wow! God used a graven image to save people from death. Now I'm confused. What was He trying to say?

Oh, let's check out John 3:14, maybe that will clear this up.

Jhn 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Jhn 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

What? The serpent is a type of Christ? Isn't that sorta like a graven image that represents Christ. And yet God used it as an instrument of healing? Makes my head spin.

In His Love,

Fiosh

PS. I didn't edit this yet.

You failed to mention that over in 2 kings 18:4 that very same image was destroyed.

Why was it destroyed?

The children of Israel started to worship it. They burned incense to it and gave it a name.

In Isaiah 46:5 God asks "To whom will you liken Me...that we should be alike?

Isaiah 44:13 talks about making a wooden image of a man...in verse 19 God calls it an abomination.

How are the images we have today any better then the ones they had back then?

[Guest man]

Does the physical appearence of your images or icons hold any importance?

[aftwine]

Is everyone ready for the big one, explain how purgatory is scriptural?

[Fiosh]

Does the physical appearence of your images or icons hold any importance?

Hi man,

I'll try to answer all three questions in one post.

1. God does not reside in the images. (just wanted to be clear on that) But if someone led a person to believe that He did; in effect, urging that person toward idol worship, both would have to answer to God for that sin.

2. We don't worship images. If an individual crosses the line and actually does begin to worship an image, they are no better than the idol worshipers of the Old Testament.

3. You ask: "Does the physical appearence of your images or icons hold any importance?"

Yes, it must be an image that serves to glorify God.

Peace,

Fiosh

[Fiosh]

Hi Fiosh.

As a matter of interest if you were excommunicated from the RC church for any reason, would you consider yourself as still having any future left with God?

That's a great question. I gotta get to work, but I'll give it some thought and get back to you ASAP.

Have a blessed day.

Fiosh

[Pax]

Hi Fiosh.

As a matter of interest if you were excommunicated from the RC church for any reason, would you consider yourself as still having any future left with God?

If I may, I will give you a quick answer to this. Fiosh feel free to add anything if you see fit. Excommuncation is a Church penalty which excludes a notorious sinner or someone grossly disobedient from the communion of the fiathful. It doesn't mean the person ceases to be a Christian. Its purpose is to warn the individual that he risks losing his soul unless he repents.

Another purpose is to bring the wayward back to the practice of the faith and to obedience. The bishop of my diocese had a list or organizations that if you were a Catholic and a member of any of these organizations you were excommunicated. The purpose wasn't to ban all these people to hell, but rather try to give them a firm warning and bring them back to the faith.

[Rebmilc]

Hi Fiosh.

As a matter of interest if you were excommunicated from the RC church for any reason, would you consider yourself as still having any future left with God?

That's a great question. I gotta get to work, but I'll give it some thought and get back to you ASAP.

Have a blessed day.

Fiosh

I'm a Patient guy.

[Rebmilc]

Hi Fiosh.

As a matter of interest if you were excommunicated from the RC church for any reason, would you consider yourself as still having any future left with God?

If I may, I will give you a quick answer to this. Fiosh feel free to add anything if you see fit. Excommuncation is a Church penalty which excludes a notorious sinner or someone grossly disobedient from the communion of the fiathful. It doesn't mean the person ceases to be a Christian. Its purpose is to warn the individual that he risks losing his soul unless he repents.

Another purpose is to bring the wayward back to the practice of the faith and to obedience. The bishop of my diocese had a list or organizations that if you were a Catholic and a member of any of these organizations you were excommunicated. The purpose wasn't to ban all these people to hell, but rather try to give them a firm warning and bring them back to the faith.

Sorry Pax. A simple question demands a simple answer and your post doesn't give one. We all know what excommunication is supposed to be for. My question was

"As a matter of interest if you were excommunicated from the RC church for any reason, would you consider yourself as still having any future left with God?"

Why Can't you just say yes or no?

As an afterthought after your quote above i.e

"It doesn't mean the person ceases to be a Christian"

Does that mean Martin Luther was still a Christian after his excommunication?

Edited October 3, 2006 by Rebmilc

[Arthur Durnan]

INVENTIONS of the Church of Rome never cease! Rituals, relics, bones, beads; scores of R.C. churches with actual nails from the cross (three maximum, no?); an "in-between place" called "purgatory" for those not good enuf for heaven & not bad enuf for hell!; "Virgin Visions" in the skies; transubstantiation" magic; its Mary "queen of heaven;" a Roman Empire-like "Vatican City" set-up with a gilded "papacy"; "cardinals" (NOT those beautiful birds!); on into the Roman nite. Who says you can't have them all? Sadly, the timely answer bellows forth: BIBLICAL REALITY, that's what. It's time and long past time that the church of Rome got no-spin umbrellas for its close to Orwellian compatriots. Gotta go now as I'm on target to nurse a quad venti latte up at Starbucks. Life happens over coffee, does it not?

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com